This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

Fuel storage at the former auto repair shop predates 1986, the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were issued without effective pollution exclusions in Washington. The documented remediation trail — underground tank removal, multi-year monitoring-well testing, and coordinated soil excavation — reflects costs tied directly to petroleum storage that occurred during that pre-1986 operational window. Historical CGL carriers whose policies were in force while the auto repair shop was operating may remain obligated both to recover past cleanup expenditures and to fund the remediation work still underway.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.